Microsoft To Train 900 Indian Teachers In Quantum Computing

Tech giant Microsoft will be training 900 faculty members from top Indian institutes in quantum computing skills and capabilities in the academic community.

As part of the new programme, Microsoft Garage is organising a 'Train the Trainer' initiative in association with Electronics and ICT Academies at Malaviya National Institute of Technology (MNIT), Jaipur and National Institute of Technology, Patna, the tech giant claims.

The programme will train faculty members from universities and institutes across India including IIT-Kanpur, IIT-Guwahati, IIT-Roorkee, MNIT Jaipur, NIT-Patna, IIIT-D Jabalpur, and NIT Warangal, read the official statement.

Training will be conducted virtually from August 24 and will continue till August 29. The programme will cover - basics of quantum computing including superposition and entanglement, processing of information using qubits and quantum gates, and quantum machine learning and programming.

The programme also includes coding classes using Microsoft Q# and Quantum Development Kit.

The training is in support of the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY) initiative to help teachers learn next level technological skills, that will further enable new discoveries in the areas of healthcare, energy, environmental systems, smart materials, and beyond.

Managing Director of Microsoft India Development Center and Corporate Vice President, Enterprise+Devices India, Rajiv Kumar said through this initiative, the company aims to develop skills in quantum at scale, which has the potential to originate new innovations.

"India is renowned across the world for its science, technology, engineering, mathematics and computing (STEM+C) workforce, and a tech-capable citizenry. Through this initiative in India, we aim to develop skills in quantum at scale, shaping the future of the IT industry in this part of the world."

Speaking on the collaboration, Prof. Udaykumar R Yaragatti, Director, MNIT Jaipur said the institute is committed to providing the best of the technologies to students and this collaboration with Microsoft will provide further encouragement not just to students but faculty members as well.

Inaugurating the program, Reena Dayal, Director, Microsoft Garage India and Chair for IEEE Quantum SIG, said that Quantum computing becomes all the more important, considering its potential to solve some of the most pressing issues our world faces today.

In February this year, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman had announced the National Mission on Quantum Technologies & Applications (NM-QTA) during the union budget announcement, with an expenditure of ₹8,000 crore by the Department of Science & Technology (DST).

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